WIRED's biggest stories, delivered to your inbox

Gesture Controls and Supercars Reborn: The Best of the Detroit Auto Show

With CES in our rearview mirror, we headed east to Detroit for the second most important trade show of January: the North American International Auto Show. And one automaker utterly dominated.

General Motors kicked things off the night before with the unveiling of the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette, and after that, everything else was an afterthought. But there were a handful of other concepts and production models that deserve time in the limelight. So if you didn't follow our twolive-blogs from the show floor, here are the most important debuts straight from the Motor City.

Ford Atlas Concept

For a moment, forget the 'Vette. Forget the Cadillac ELR. When it comes to the Big Three – or any automaker showing their wares in Detroit – no vehicle is more important than the Ford F-150 pickup. And the surprise unveiling of the Atlas concept is a clear indication of what to expect from Ford's next segment-dominating truck.

Yes, it looks like nearly every other pickup on the road, with an upright grille, massive cab and expanded bed. The interior is a combination of concept car aesthetics and work-a-day utility, most of which won't make it to production.

But the two coolest features are the trailer back-up assist feature that automatically maneuvers the Atlas into position to hook up the hitch (think auto-parking, but for your boat or RV trailer), and the power-deployed arm that lifts out of the bed and – partnered with a rubberized divot in the roof – can hold ladders, kayaks or any other overly long kit without having to fit an ugly bed rack.

Just as importantly, the Atlas features a range of advanced materials to lighten the overall weight of the truck, and patterned with the turbocharged engine, should pay massive dividends at the pump.

Consider that Ford sold nearly 650,000 F-Series pickups in the U.S. last year alone (more than any other vehicle in America and making the Corvette's 12,000 or so laughable), and you should be able to understand the importance of a vehicle that reportedly accounts for a majority of the Blue Oval's global profits.

BMW Concept 4 Series

BMW has the 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series. But that's apparently not enough series to be serious. Seriously.

So it's ditching the 3 Series coupe (and undoubtedly, convertible) in favor of the 4 Series moniker going forward. We have no idea why, and a few BMW North America reps we spoke to couldn't make a cogent argument to convince us.

Regardless, the 4 Series concept shown in Detroit is just a front bumper, some new wheels and a reworked interior away from production, and will likely come to the U.S. market later this year packing a choice of either the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (428i) or the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (435i). But what of the iconic M3? We'll have to wait at least another year to find out.

Hyundai HCD-14 Concept

"This is not the next Genesis." That notion bore repeating not once, but twice during Hyundai's press conference, with John Krafcik, the automaker's North American CEO, insisting that the uninspiringly named HCD-14 would influence the design of future "premium products" from Hyundai. We're not sure if that's a good thing.

While the HCD-14 (rolls off the tongue, no?) certainly has presence, some beautiful design cues and looks much better in person than in photographs, it still strikes us as an odd amalgamation of lines, forms and details that don't quite coalesce into coherent shape.

But the interior tech has us salivating. A combination of eye-tracking and gesture controls make up the core of the infotainment system, allowing the driver to simply twist their hand mid-air to change the volume or swipe in any direction to change tracks, choose a destination or manipulate the head-up displays. And unlike other concepts, we've been told that all these functions actually work. But until we get to try them ourselves, we're chalking this up to long-term vaporware.

Audi RS7

Now for something a little more down-to-earth, even though it has enough grunt to shoot you into the stratosphere.

Audi reserves the RS moniker for its most insanely powerful and frighteningly grippy models, and the RS7 is the latest to get the full-bore racer-for-the-road treatment.

It's packing a 4.0-liter V8 with two turbochargers hanging off its exhaust manifolds, capable of 560 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque – enough to get this oversized "four-door coupe" to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 189 mph. We'll take two, sans the gaudy chrome wheels.

Infiniti Q50

Infiniti is embarking on a massive rebranding scheme that ditches the G, M, EX and FX models for an entirely Q-named lineup, and the Q50 is the first model to "benefit" from the new nomenclature.

Designed as a replacement for the entry-level G series of sedans and coupes, the Q50 is set to go on sale this summer with a standard 328-hp 3.7-liter V6 or a hybrid model packing 354-hp thanks to a 50 kW motor. But powertrains aren't the real news.

Infiniti is fitting not one, but two touchscreens into the Q50's center stack, allowing maps to be displayed while inputting a destination, selecting a station or choosing from one of the few pre-packaged apps. It's a novel approach at delivering more screen real-estate while not going nuts with a massive touchscreen (a la Tesla Model S). And as an added bonus, Infiniti saw fit to retain physical controls for climate and audio – smart. Unfortunately, the system wasn't functioning in the model on the floor, so we'll have to wait a few months to see if the InTouch system is as intuitive as Infiniti claims.

Cadillac ELR

This is not a Volt with a new, super-sleek body. The ELR uses some of same architecture, along with the 1.4-liter engine-as-generator and battery pack, but beyond that, this is a very different beast.

Aside from the exterior, which is easily one of the best looking designs in the current Caddy line-up, and the interior, which takes the lessons learned from both the Volt and the CUE infotainment system to make extended-range EV that's both innovative and attractive, it's the combination of electric-only driving and the inherently sporty coupe nature that has us champing at the bit to get behind the wheel of the ELR.

It's not about to dethrone the Model S in the performance department, nor does it have the day-to-day functionality of the Volt, but the ELR is the first car to combined sex appeal and green cred into one very compelling package. Let's just hope it doesn't carry an overblown sticker or worse, suffer the same fate as another rebodied luxury hybrid, the ill-fated Lexus HS250h.

Acura NSX Concept (Part Deux)

If the Cadillac ELR is the future of luxury extended-range EVs, then the NSX is the future of the supercar. Or at least, one interpretation of it.

Underneath that angular bodywork is scads of aluminum and carbon fiber, with a V6 mounted amidships and an electric motor placed between the front wheels. That gives the NSX the balance of a mid-engine supercar, the grip of all-wheel-drive and the fuel economy of a small hatchback. Factor in the NSX's ability to precisely ration torque to the front wheels thanks to a cadre of computers and sensors, and the potential for otherworldly handling is just a few years away, according to Acura.

But this second NSX concept (the first debuted in Tokyo) finally gives us a glimpse of the interior, which is one of the most driver-focused we've seen in the last decade. It's a straightforward affair, with a configurable display behind the steering wheel, a touchscreen on the dash and a mode selector separating the driver and passenger. This is what a modern supercar should look like on the inside, and when it hits the road in 2015, we'll get to see if Acura finally has its mojo back.

Lexus IS

The Lexus IS has the right stuff on paper. Front-mounted V6 engine (either a 2.5- or 3.5-liter), rear wheel drive and a... ahem... bold design. But put it altogether and Lexus' latest entry into the sports sedan realm leaves us completely cold.

The Predator-esque grille continues to infiltrate the Lexus line-up to poor effect, the angular, Nike-swoosh-like daytime running lights look as tacked on as the oddly misshapen headlamps and the engines are about as inspiring as your dishwasher. And then there's the hybrid situation.

Lexus showed its IS300h model in Detroit, but it's not planning on selling the hybrid in the U.S. because it apparently already offers too many gas-electric models in the entry-level luxury market. Considering its parents at Toyota dominate the hybrid mindshare, why they wouldn't extend that same momentum to their luxury brand seems like a poor branding decision – particularly in its largest market.

Tesla Model X

Just to remind us that it's got another model in the pipeline, Tesla rolled out the don't-call-it-a-concept Model X "design prototype" in Detroit, the second variation of the Model S-based SUV that's due out in 2014.

The design hasn't changed much since we last saw the Model X, although the front fascia has been pinched and pulled, and the new wheels feature some incredibly trick carbon fiber fins that have the same shot at production as a miniature Unicorn coming standard for the kids in the way back to play with.

There's still three rows of seating, the 17-inch floating touchscreen and the space-saving and child seat-friendly gullwing (sorry, Falcon Wing) doors. And after sitting in the rear, we're bowled over by how much space is inside and how utilizing the Model S' skateboard architecture completely eschews all the packaging constraints of a standard SUV. We were hard-pressed to think of any sedan that has better space optimization than the Model S, and now it looks like the Model X will do the same for crossovers. All with a claimed 265-mile all-electric range.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Yes, we had to bring it up again. There were obviously other cars at the show, but this was the Corvette's coming out party and the Stingray's shadow loomed larger than anything else on the floor.

As a refresher, 450 hp small-block V8, 0-60 in under 4 seconds, a completely configurable dash, a half-dozen driving settings and... just look at it. It's a stunning combination of cuts and creases that looks like the sports car of the future we drew in the margins of our middle school notebooks. Except we actually get to drive it. And we'll be doing just that later this year.